


Ten Thousandth Try

by myrifique



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M, Groundhog Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 03:25:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1089043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myrifique/pseuds/myrifique
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mindy gets stuck in Groundhog Day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Thousandth Try

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rikyl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikyl/gifts).



> Dear rikyl, I was really very happy to have you as a recipient, because you seem very awesome, and it's been a pleasure stalking you. I tried extremely hard to write you the 1940s story of your heart, but it just didn't work at all, so, I hope you'll enjoy this other form of time travel instead.
> 
> A thousand thanks to my very encouraging betas, Sonni and Lan.
> 
> Tumblr user benknope made a [gifset](http://lookupatthesky.tumblr.com/post/71862772716/rikyl-ten-thousandth-try-written-by-anonymous) of this fic, is basically the best person ever.

“Danny, you know that c-section we did this morning?” Mindy asked, barging into Danny’s office.

“Yes, Mindy, I remember major events of my day,” Danny said, still looking at his computer.

“You remember how you thought it was weird that I strongly recommended a c-section without apparent cause?”

Danny frowned and looked at Mindy. “Well, I guess I had to trust your gut feeling a bit, yeah, but once we were in it, it became obvious that this would have been a serious case of shoulder dystocia, and that the baby would have been stuck way too long in the birth canal had we not done it. What, are you looking for congratulations?”

“Always,” Mindy replied. “But I’m also looking for reassurance that I’m not going crazy.”

Danny chuckled. “Not sure I can help you there, buddy.”

“Yeah, we’ll see who’s laughing when I’m done telling you this, _buddy_. I had a ‘strong gut feeling’ about this delivery, because I’ve done it three times now.”

“What do you mean? I thought this was Emily Miller’s first baby.”

“It is. It’s also the third time I’m reliving December 12.”

Danny laughed, a brief, surprised laugh. “Okay, this sounds wackier than usual.”

“I’m serious. I’m stuck in a real-life Groundhog Day. At first, I thought I had a do-over to fix the Miller delivery - and boy did I mess it up, three days ago, we’re talking brain damage, family destroyed, my self-esteem in shambles. But then, the next day, it went much better, and this morning, it was pretty much perfect, so I’m not sure what gives.”

“Well, if it was only perfect today, maybe you’ll be fine and live December 13 tomorrow,” said Danny. “Wait a minute, I’m not believing your story yet.”

“In two minutes, Morgan is going to burst in here, looking for his fourth dog, Nutty, who escaped, because ‘he’s really batty, ha ha ha, crap, missed my joke again’,” said Mindy, in a deadpan voice.

“Maybe you just know Morgan’s dogs really well,” Danny said.

The door burst open. “Dr C, you seen my fourth dog, Nutty? He escaped. Man, he really is batty!” Morgan laughed before stopping at Danny’s frozen face. “Crap, missed my joke again, right? Anyway, if you see him, please put him in this cardboard box, here,” Morgan added. “Same goes for you, Dr L,” he said, grabbing another box from outside Danny’s office.

“How many of these boxes do you keep here?” asked Mindy.

“Only as many as there are dogs here,” said Morgan.

“How many is that-” replied Mindy, but Morgan was gone. 

“He’s in on it,” Danny said. 

Mindy threw her hands up in the air. “How am I supposed to convince you, Danny? Do you want to tell me something only you would know, and then tomorrow I’ll repeat it to you when we have this exact same conversation?”

“You already know most of the things one could use against me in such a situation,” Danny replied. “But, okay, when I was a kid, I thought brown bears were just polar bears who had gotten dirty.”

“That is adorable,” said Mindy, “and I am definitely coming back to that later, but I can’t wait until tomorrow, Danny. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about me, but I am not the most patient person.” She ignored his chuckle. “So how about I just write you a check for ten thousand dollars, and you go and cash it, right now?” She got out her checkbook and started writing.

“Well, it’s not like you’re going to be out on the streets begging for money even if I do cash it and you live to see tomorrow, right? Plus I’d probably just give it back to you,” he said, but he looked unsure.

“Okay, find something if you’re so good, Thomas.”

“I don’t know, do something drastic, like selling your apartment, or firing Peter, or breaking things off with Cliff-”

“Wait a minute,” Mindy interrupted him. She stood up. “Jeremy, could you come here, please? It’s about important business things.”

Jeremy entered and Mindy took his hands. “Jeremy, I’ve tried to quell my feelings, but they’ve got to come out,” she said, sounding desperate. “I’m in love with you, and I’ve always been, ever since we first made out two years ago. No! Don’t say anything, I know that we can never be together, and I’ve made my peace with it. Just know, that whatever happens, even if I seem to be really into someone else, I’ll always love you.”

Jeremy looked terrified. “Mindy, I don’t know what to tell you, I mean, I care about you-”

“Just leave me with one last kiss, please?” Mindy said, batting her eyelashes.

“Okay, that’s not really necessary-” said Danny, but Mindy had already grabbed Jeremy. She felt a little guilty for taking advantage of him like this, but she was, like, 97% sure he wouldn’t remember anything. Plus, he was a really great kisser.

“Thank you,” she said, breaking it off. “I’ll carry this with me. Forever.”

“Why is Danny here?” asked Jeremy before Mindy unceremoniously dumped him out of the room.

“There. Happy?” said Mindy.

“Always have to put on a show, huh,” said Danny, looking vaguely annoyed.

“Come on, don’t be mad, I had to do something. Now please come help me,” she said, leading him out the door. 

“I have zero knowledge of time travel,” he said. He caught a glimpse of Jeremy in the lobby. “Why don’t you ask him? His country made Doctor Who, and you love him so.”

“I, uh, hear Betsy calling me,” said Jeremy before departing. 

“Nobody knows anything about time travel, because it isn’t real,” Mindy said reasonably. “I need someone to watch Groundhog Day with me.”

\---

“I am not that bad a person, right?” asked Mindy as the credits rolled. “I am not Bill Murray at the start of the movie.”

Danny shrugged. “You’re not Bill Murray at the end of the movie, either.”

“Yeah, because I don’t care about ice sculpting, and it’s unrealistic to think I could solve every New Yorker’s problems,” said Mindy. “Oh God, what if something terrible is happening in the city that I’m meant to solve? Did you hear about anything on the news?”

“I’ve been with you the entire day,” Danny pointed out. “Also, what kind of catastrophe do you think you could prevent?”

“Uh, all of them. I am extremely competent.”

“I take it back, you might have the self-esteem of Billy Murray at the start of the movie,” Danny said, before dodging Mindy’s slap.

“Don’t laugh at me, I’m worried.” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “How long do you think he was stuck in that loop?” she asked, in a little girl voice.

“Well, he mastered piano and ice-sculpting. I heard that it requires ten thousand hours to master a skill, so, at least twenty thousand hours. Wait, let me check,” Danny said, pulling out his phone.

“That doesn’t sound so bad, that’s, what, two years?” asked Mindy as he looked. “Man, I could watch so much TV.”

“All right, Wikipedia says the director of the movie thought it must have lasted at least ten years,” Danny said as he read.

“Ten years! Danny! Oh my god!” gasped Mindy.

“Wait, actually,” Danny said, reading on, “he changed his mind later, says it takes ten years to get good at something… so it must have been… more like thirty or forty years.”

“Just leave me here to die,” said Mindy.

“And this one dude believes it must have lasted over ten thousand years.”

“Great,” said Mindy, “that is just freaking fantastic.”

“It’s not that bad,” said Danny. “Think of all the opportunities this gives you. You could, I don’t know, learn French, travel the world-”

“I’m not reliving a day of air travel over and over, thanks,” Mindy interrupted him.

“-read everything in the New York library, learn to play the piano like a master, watch the entire Ken Burns oeuvre twenty times-”

“I am not doing any of those things,” said Mindy. “Well, maybe I guess I could learn French, _très romantique, si_? Plus, I’m going to have to redo this morning’s delivery ten thousand times over.”

“Call me every five hundred days, I’ll do it for you,” he laughed.

“You are not helping at all,” Mindy said. “I just want to get out of this. There must be some kind of cheat code, right?”

“Become selfless and a good person,” Danny said, deadpan.

“Screw you, I’m a fantastic person,” she said, kicking him lightly. “I went to Haiti!”

“Yeah, for selfish reasons,” Danny said. 

Mindy ignored him and scratched her head. “Bill Murray falls asleep with Andie MacDowell at the end of the movie,” she said.

“I don’t like where this is going,” Danny said.

“Really? You wouldn’t want to save me from ten thousand years of suffering, in exchange for one night of sleep? I don’t kick. Much.”

“One, I don’t think you would suffer for ten thousand years, you would probably watch TV, shop a lot and eat enough junk food to sour you on the taste for the rest of your life-”

“Oh man, I can _eat all the time_ and _never burn off the calories_ ,” Mindy said, her eyes widened at the thought.

“Two, I don’t think me sleeping here would solve anything.”

“Worth a try, though, right?” Mindy wriggled her eyebrows. “Come on, if it works, I’ll make you pancakes in the morning. I even have an extra toothbrush for unexpected man guests.”

“I am not sharing a toothbrush with your last conquest,” said Danny. He grimaced at the thought.

“Don’t worry, I actually have a box full of extra toothbrushes,” said Mindy, getting up to the bathroom.

“Hey, Min?” Danny called out to the other room. “Why aren’t you asking Cliff over instead?” He bit his lip when she didn’t answer.

“Did you say something?” Mindy asked, coming back with a toothbrush. 

Danny paused for a second. “I, uh, asked about pajamas,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll find you something. That means you’re staying?” she asked, brightly. 

“I guess,” he shrugged.

“Yay!” she threw her arms around his neck. “Slumber party, slumber party!”

“No,” Danny said. “I am not your best friend from fifth grade.”

“All right, regular adult sleepover, then,” amended Mindy. Danny cleared his throat. Mindy added, really fast, “... Not that kind of adult, obviously. Hey, we should watch another movie, you’re not the kind of guy who’s anti-TV in the bedroom, right? What about Back to the Future, do you think that would help? Maybe I need to play matchmaker to someone, what do you think?”

Danny fell asleep before lightning crashed on the church tower, his hand brushing Mindy’s arm. She turned off the TV and stared at the ceiling, thoughts of her strange predicament swirling in her mind.

\---

Mindy woke up alone.

\---

“Tiny Castellano thought regular bears were just dirty polar bears, Morgan is going to burst in here talking about his dog, and also, do you want ten thousand dollars,” said Mindy in a bored voice.

“How many times have you told this to me?” Danny asked, amused.

“I’m not sure. There were two or three weeks where I came straight home after my morning delivery and watched all the TV in the world. Maybe I’m meant to become a TV reference, right? Maybe the universe’s higher purpose for sending me this ordeal is so I can finally watch Orange is the New Black for the fourth time.”

“Yes, that seems likely,” Danny nodded. “So, no plans to get out of this, yet?”

“Well, my fabulous idea of sleeping with you didn’t pan out, so, no.”

Danny froze. “We slept together?” 

“Calm down, you just very nicely offered to keep me company for the night, like the gentleman that you are.”

“Did I.” He still sounded strangled.

“No, I had to bribe you with pancakes and promise you a clean toothbrush,” Mindy admitted, “but tomayto, tomahto.”

“So, it didn’t work? No need to try again?” he asked.

“No, you know what, I think I’m just going to keep enjoying this for a little while,” she said. “Not go, like, Bill Murray crazy, but maybe the universe sent me this so that I’d be in the fun, honeymoon-y stage with Cliff forever. Can you imagine?”

“I would rather not,” Danny said. “Did you try falling asleep with him?”

“Actually, I didn’t.” Mindy sounded surprised at the thought. “Huh. I’ve been seeing you every day, I didn’t even realize how long it’s been since I hung out with him. I guess he never calls, on this fateful day... But I can, right?” She got out her phone and grinned at Danny, who weakly smiled in return. “Thanks for the idea, Danny!”

\---

“Dirty polar bears, Morgan’s dog, ten thousand dollars,” said Mindy.

“What?”

“Look, just trust me, okay? I need to talk to you. Or trust past you! You have already believed me dozens of times.” 

“Oh, sure. Sorry that you have to wait through my slight surprise when my friend tells me she’s been time-travelling for months,” said Danny.

“Yeah, Danny, roll with the punches!” she smiled. “Tell me one failsafe secret, and I’ll never have to live through this conversation again,” she whispered. “Dirtier than the polar bears.”

“You know all my secrets,” Danny protested.

“I do not. Daniel Castellano is a man of mystery, and don’t you forget it.”

“All right, so, what was so urgent?” he asked.

“Danny, I’m in love with Cliff.”

Danny went still, shocked. “So soon?” he asked.

“Well, you know, we’ve been going on dozens of dates, and I’ve gotten to know him a lot better, and I just think he’s great, you know? He’s fun, he’s gorgeous, he likes his family, he has a great job, he can carry a conversation, and that’s it, I’m ready to move on, tell him I love him, move in together and have babies.”

“Fantastic,” said Danny, his voice hollow. 

Mindy didn’t seem to notice as she replied “Yes, it is really fantastic, that I’ve finally found The One, and I’m stuck at Day 10 of our relationship, and nothing I do seems to fix it. Danny, what am I supposed to do? He likes me just fine, he thinks I’m this funny, crazy girl he just kissed for the first time a couple of days ago, but he’s never going to feel the same way I do.”

“Wait, what happens in Groundhog Day? Bill Murray falls asleep with the girl, and that seems to fix things up,” Danny said, looking pained.

“Nope, tried that, again and again and again, with or without the sexy times, sometimes with even sexier times-”

“Getting into too much information territory, thank you,” interrupted Danny.

“-nothing seems to work.” She sighed. “I feel like my heart breaks every time he asks me what type of music I like.”

Danny looked at her. This entire story still seemed preposterous, but Mindy was in front of him, her sadness very real. He stood up and opened his arms. “Come here,” he said.

She held him tight. “Thank you,” she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He kissed the top of her hair and tried to change her mind. “Do you tell me your story every day?” 

“Yeah,” she chuckled, “except with less sadness, usually. The food’s been pretty great.”

\---

“So I’m going to try bettering myself,” Mindy said. “What do I have to improve?”

Danny laughed. “Are you seriously asking me for a list? You’re not afraid of how long it’ll take me to go through every single thing?”

“Apparently I have 10,000 years,” Mindy shrugged.

“And no ego, right?”

“Well, it can’t be anything physical, because the effects are lost on the next day. I tested it, I mean, in addition to the buckets of calorie-free food and the no-hangovers. You did not like my blue hair.”

“Wonders never cease.”

“It’s not a love thing, because not a single thing was different when I was in love with Cliff.”

“When you- were-,” stuttered Danny, like there was a lot of things he had to parse in that.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, if he suddenly changed his mind and sent me flowers with love notes, I would consider it, but it’s not going to happen, and it’s been months now, and I’m not going to spend years pining for him, even though my biological clock is not a thing. So, I’m closing that book. Right?” She looked unsure.

“Plus this way, you get to meet new people. Ten thousand meet-cutes,” he said, looking inexplicably sad. “Your dream since you were a baby, probably.”

“Yes! Maybe I just have to meet the one. I should try online dating. Oh, or craigslist! Maybe there’s someone else out there, reliving his day! I should write up some kind of wanted ad, I could go viral,” she said, thoughtful.

“I thought you were going with the bettering yourself plan,” Danny pointed out.

“Right. Still waiting for your list.”

“I’m not going to give you a list of your weaknesses so you can hold it against me for thousands of December 12s until you hate me so much that you spend all your day plotting elaborate revenge plans,” said Danny.

“You talked about learning French the first time,” said Mindy, ignoring him. “Or travelling the world, but that sounds impractical. I guess I could try going to the MoMA sometime...”

“Yeah, sticking you in a time-loop to increase their attendance sounds like the kind of things museum curators have the budget for,” he said.

“Why are you this way? Do you not believe me again?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, grinning. “I guess I just like messing with you best when you’re at your craziest.”

“Bettering myself is not crazy! Unless you’re saying that I’m already perfect, in which case, thank you,” she acknowledged graciously. “All right, next time, I’m telling you the polar bear thing in French, you’ll see how fast you believe me then.”

\---

“Quand tu étais petit, tu pensais que les ours bruns étaient des ours polaires sales,” said Mindy.

“Huh. What did you say?” asked Danny, impressed despite his disbelief.

“Just this cute story about baby Danny and his weird bear beliefs, except I said it in French, because, sound the drums, I have been reliving this December 12 for 365 days, today!”

“How can you count the days?”

“I’ve been re-reading this med school textbook, one page a day. So that’s been helpful for logging time, and also for not atrophying the old medicine muscle. I have gotten pretty freaking fantastic at emergency c-sections caused by shoulder dystocia, but otherwise, I’m kind of rusty.”

“You could always do my paperwork for today,” said Danny.

“Very gracious of you,” joked Mindy. She paused before adding “I’m sort of ashamed to tell you this, but I actually did do it, a couple of weeks ago. I went around and did everyone’s work for them for a week.”

“Wow,” said Danny. “That’s…”

“Bettering myself, right?” Mindy laughed with a wink.

“Yeah,” said Danny.

“I also went on coffee dates with pretty much everyone. Betsy and I are kind of best friends now, though I guess today she doesn’t know it,” Mindy added. “Every other week I set her up with Jeremy, and it’s always magnificent. The first thing I’m doing on December 13 is making it stick.”

“Really, the first thing?”

“Well, with making a handprint in that wet cement patch a few blocks from here, framing the new page on the day calendar, and spending the night at someone else’s. Probably calling everyone I know to tell them how much I miss them. I do it all the time, but they forget,” she said, her voice squeaking on the last syllable. 

Danny left his chair to crouch beside her. He put a hand on her knee and said “A year, huh? How do you feel?”

Mindy took a deep breath. “I don’t know, I mean, on the one hand, it’s not that bad, getting to spend a year of free time in the greatest city in the world, with all my friends nearby, right? Plus, the food,” she pointed out, and he nodded. “But it’s also a whole lot of time with my thoughts,” she sighed. “I’m lonely even as I circle through the greatest outings ever with all my favorite people, because no one actually gets it. Except when I come and tell you my crazy story every day,” she smiled at him.

“Every day?” he smiled in return.

“Well, sometimes I pretend it’s just a normal day and just come and tease you for a while before going off to better myself. But the other day I managed to convince you to drop everything and come to the MoMA with me,” she said.

“Did I like it?” he asked. 

“I think it wasn’t really your scene, but you pretended, to be nice,” she grinned. “You even helped me learn about art, in case that was the higher purpose the universe had for me, and read all the notes about the paintings.”

“Wow.” Danny looked impressed. “So, you’re like, super knowledgeable about everything now?”

“Ugh, I wish.” She grimaced. “I still can’t really bring myself to care,” she shrugged. “And then I wonder, in all the hours I have on hand to think about what the hell’s happening to me, what’s so terrible about myself that the universe would stop working properly until I fixed it.”

“Maybe it’s not something you have to change about yourself, more like something you need to realize. Maybe someone you need to appreciate more,” he added.

“Nice try, buddy, but I’m not showering you with praise and presents,” she said.

“You know, I didn’t mean me, but it’s interesting that your mind jumped straight to that,” he deadpanned. “Come on, don’t be sad,” he said, pulling her up into his arms.

“What would you have to learn about yourself?” she asked into the hug.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, and she can feel his body moving around her. “I guess I’m pretty comfortable with myself. I know who am I, and what I want.”

Danny kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tighter before releasing her from his embrace, but he kept his hands on her arms. Mindy looked at him. His eyes twinkled, and she didn’t want to move away from him. It felt right, being in a Danny bubble, a reprieve from her usual loneliness. He swallowed, and she looked at his mouth. Her lips parted. She could feel him searching her face, considering his options. Her heart beat faster. She didn’t know what she wanted to happen. She angled her face a little, and then-

“I guess I don’t want you to change too much,” he said, his voice raw. “I like you very much. Just as you are.”

Surprised, Mindy shook her head, taken out of the moment. “Was that a reference?”

“To what?” he asked, frowning. 

“Never mind,” she said, and Danny let her go. She bit her lip and tried for levity. “Hey, do you want to come check out Dyckman House with me? It’s the last remaining farmhouse in Manhattan. I’ve been going through the Wikipedia list of ‘National Historic Landmarks in New York City’. Thank god I’m not stuck in Punxsutawney, right?”

“Sure,” Danny said. “I’ve actually been two or three times already.”

“Yeah,” she chuckled, “you were probably born there.”

\---

Danny used the back-up toothbrush again that night. She didn’t have to bribe him with pancakes.

This time, as the lights of the movie colored Danny’s sleeping face, Mindy didn’t think about her predicament at all. She turned off the TV and silently tried to move closer to him, her skin tingling when she finally touched him.

\---

She still woke up alone.

\---

They visited the Chrysler Building, the Matthew Henson residence, and the National City Bank; went to restaurants, ice rinks, and cinemas; tried hot air balloons and indoor snorkeling, but in the end, it happened like this.

“How often do I sleep over?” asked Danny in the middle of the movie. His voice was soft, but Mindy startled, as he usually fell asleep before that. Of course, she usually picked romcoms, and not the Ken Burns documentary she knew was hidden on some weird channel she never looked at. (It was her fourth time watching it with him, and she was actually the one about to conk out.) 

Mindy hesitated before answering. “Every… other night, probably,” she said. 

“Really?” he asked. She nodded and bit her lip. “So,” he went on, “we spend the afternoon touring the city, and then we come home, watch a movie in bed, and fall asleep together.”

“Yes.”

“Every other day.”

“... Lately it’s been pretty much every day,” she admitted. “I was, uh, rounding down because of the first months.”

“And there’s nothing else you want to try?” he asked.

She sighed. “I don’t know what else to try,” she said. “J’ai appris le français, I’ve been the epitome of niceness with everyone, I’ve found random strangers to help out, I’ve given half my money to charity, I met a hundred guys just in case they were the one-”

“A hundred?” he interrupted. “Sorry, normally I’d assume you’re exaggerating, but in your situation-”

“I haven’t actually counted, so, yes, exaggeration, but maybe not by as much as you’d think. Anyway, it’s been fun trying to wear different personalities and reinvent myself every time, but it turned out to just be exhausting. Plus, I already know what will happen if I fall in love with someone, and that way just leads to heartbreak and a lot of ice cream.”

“Yeah,” he said. He took a deep breath and seemed to get back to the movie. “Unless you fall for someone who’s already in love with you,” he pointed out, not looking at her.

Mindy froze. She felt the seconds stretch into years, her mouth dry like she hadn’t drunk in weeks, her heart beating quickly enough to sustain her for months.

“Yes,” she said, her voice so quiet she wondered if he heard.

He turned to look at her. “Someone you feel comfortable with, enough so that you’d tell him your unbelievable tale every day,” he added.

Mindy just nodded, not trusting her voice. Danny was looking into her eyes, and she felt the absurd thought that she might start crying.

“And then take him along on the day’s adventures, before asking him home, into your bed,” he said, pausing before the last words, maybe to make sure she understood him, maybe to keep his voice steady.

“Danny,” she finally said, her voice strangled. He waited, his eyes still on her. “If I tell you I love you, and I wake up alone tomorrow, I’m not going to be able to get out of bed.” Tears filled her eyes, and he brought his hand to her cheek.

“So, next time, tell me first thing in the morning,” he said, and he kissed her. She responded shyly at first, still wondering if this was a good idea, when he broke them up.

“I’ve got to say,” he said with a grin, “I’ve thought about kissing you a lot, but you were never crying. Who knew we were that kind of couple.”

“Don’t laugh at me, my life is very dramatic,” she said, laughing anyway. She tried to swat him on the chest but he was holding her too close, so she sort of ineffectively petted him. “You’ve thought about this a lot?” she asked, her fingers drawing circles on him.

“God, yes,” he said, bringing her close for another kiss. “Is this really the first time I’m telling you this? After hundreds of nights in your bed? I am such a gentleman.”

“Yeah, you’re a prize, Danny. As always, I fell in love with a real prince.”

“You what?” he asked, and she froze, but he was just teasing her. He playfully kissed her nose, her forehead, one cheek, then the other. “Say it again,” he grinned, holding his next kiss hostage.

“You’re a real prize,” she teased back, and tried to capture his lips. He slipped away before she could press more than a chaste closed-mouth kiss on him. “All right, Danny, if you want me to spell it out for you, I am going to go full Billy Crystal on you, and it’s going to be cheesy, but you asked for it.”

“Not _full_ Billy Crystal, I hope,” he said, unfastening the first button of her shirt.

“Danny,” she began grandly, “I’ve spent close to two years stuck in December 12 with you, and I fell in love with you.” He kissed her mouth at that. “I’m not finished,” she protested, but she let him kiss her once more. “I realized that even though I could spend my days however I wanted, nothing seemed more fun than hanging out in your office, bothering you.”

“You have an office thing, huh,” he said, kissing her throat, opening another button.

She ignored him. “Even though I know all the worst things about you, and you know all the worst things about me-” he snorted at that, which she also pointedly ignored, “I still want, more than anything in the world, to see you in the morning when I wake up. Every morning, not just December 13, though that one particularly.”

She stopped talking, and his hands paused on the last button. “Are you done already? I barely heard any compliments in there,” he said, his eyes twinkling.

“After my speech, it’ll be your turn to praise everything you like about me, right?” she asked as she shrugged off her shirt. “This is a give-give thing?”

“Oh, you’re going to like what I’m going to give,” he said, his hands sneaking around her back to unhook her bra. She shivered. He slowly slid the strap off her shoulder, kissing the freed skin.

“Very show-off-y, but I can’t pretend I’m above that,” she replied, her last words slightly lost in a gasp as he cupped her breast. “I like…” she started, but he was caressing her, his fingers pinching her nipple slightly, and she lost her train of thought.

“Yes?” he asked patiently.

“I like how you always put your hand on my back to help me cross the street,” she said, a little out of breath. His mouth replaced his hand and she panted as he licked her. He paused long enough so that she knew she was supposed to go on. “I like how your face lights up when I enter your office, every single time.” His hand came up to her other breast. “I like how you always go along with my crazy schemes,” she said, and she felt him smile around her before he sucked in a little bit, and she couldn’t help moaning. “I like how you take extreme care of unexpected things, like gingerbread houses,” - he unbuttoned her pants -, “dancing,” - he slid her pants off -, “and me.”

He kissed his way down her stomach and she was too focussed on his mouth to praise the universe properly for having picked nice panties that morning. Danny didn’t seem to notice much, sliding them off as soon as she raised her hips.

“I have no idea why I didn’t do this months ago,” she said when his tongue first touched her, and he chuckled, which had a very interesting effect. She grabbed the sheets with both hands when he slid a finger in her, and she held on for dear life as he rewarded her for her speech.

He slowed down as she came, his mouth still on her, his tongue licking her in small, butterfly touches that overwhelmed her. She eventually started missing him and brought him back up in her arms. 

“Am I really going to forget about all of this?” he asked, his head nestled in the crook of her neck.

“Won’t remember a thing,” she said. She was playing in his hair, and kissed the top of his head.

“Will you tell me?” he asked, looking up at her. He seemed oddly vulnerable, and her heart broke.

“I’m not sure how I’d approach the subject,” she pointed out.

“Make it a challenge,” he grinned. “‘I’m stuck in Groundhog day, and you made me come five times last night, please do better so I can finally get out of this’,” Danny imitated her. “Pretty sure I’d get to work on it right then and there. Maybe I have an office thing too,” he mused.

“You’re wearing way too many clothes for a guy aiming for five,” she said, starting to work on his shirt. 

“Maybe if you don’t fall asleep all your problems will be solved,” he grinned, helping her. 

“I tried that already,” she said. “Not in such a fun way, though.” She ran a hand over his arms, his chest, his legs, everywhere. He kissed her and she brought him over her, opening her legs.

“I guess we don’t need any kind of-” he started, looking around the bed for condoms.

“I don’t actually know, they didn’t cover time travel in med school,” she said, rolling her hips to protest for the wait. “But we’ve been dating for months now, I’m ready for marriage and babies.”

He laughed. “I guess I knew what I was getting into.”

“Fantastic word choice,” she said, before he took her repartee away. 

He did get up to five. But she did, eventually, fall asleep.

\---

Mindy woke up, but didn’t open her eyes, trying to hold on to hope before the ritual ring of her alarm clock.

And then she realized that she was naked, and she couldn’t keep her eyes closed for one more second, couldn’t waste a single minute of this, for this was clearly, finally, December 13. 

She squealed and bounced on the bed, and Danny woke up. “Hi,” he said with a sleepy smile, before yawning.

“You’re here,” she squealed again.

“Yes, I am,” he said. “You know, you didn’t have to make up that whole Groundhog day story just to get in my pants.”

“I am too happy to consider replying to this, but I’ll probably think of something soon,” she said, and she kissed him, again and again and again. 

He pulled her up on top of him and she opened up for him immediately, already missing the feel of him inside her. “Having sex with me cures universe fuck-ups,” he said. “That’s a hell of a pick-up line.”

He was doing things with his fingers that made it hard to reply as scathingly as she’d have wished. “Too bad you’ll never have the occasion to use it again.”

“Yeah? You wouldn’t provide references?” he asked, pushing into her.

“I’m sorry, I’m not going to banter through this,” she said, and then tried to ignore the smug look on Danny’s face.

\---

“So, what’s the plan for today?” he asked, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head as she pondered. “What’s been missing from your hundreds of December 12 that you can finally get?”

“I thought I’d really want to do something that lasts, like, wood carving, or graffiti in my office,” she said. 

“And now?”

“Actually, even though I’ve done it a lot, spending the day in bed sounds pretty nice.” She paused. “I’m going to go back to the Billy Crystal thing, are you ready?”

“If you must,” he said, faking a sigh.

“You and I, it’s also kind of doing something that lasts,” Mindy said, grinning.

“God, that’s terrible,” he chuckled, but he kissed her anyway.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Ten Thousandth Try [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1549484) by [blackglass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackglass/pseuds/blackglass)




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